Five Guy's Burgers were one of the first new chains to infiltrate Atlanta. While the concept was unique and refreshing, couple of years later, the burger is king, and Five Guys could be on the downslide.

Appearance wise, 5Guys does it to perfection. Clean simple dining rooms, open kitchen, red and white tile to match the red and white sacks of Idaho potatoes. They even post glamourous reviews of their concept all around the restaurant. Offering patrons free peanuts while they wait for their meal is always appreciated, and the employees are all friendly and attentive. The menu is sparse and straight to the point - burgers, hot dogs and grilled cheese. Fries two ways, and fountain drinks. Dessert or shakes? We did not see any. Salads? Veggie options? None either. But we at TFL enjoy a niche operation specializing in one or two items that are unlike any tasted before. Unfortunately for 5Guys, they do not seem to have anything crave worthy.

So in a rare TFL action - we will now name the 5 worst things about this restaurant. Usually we can find 5 great or even acceptable things, but here we were actually dissappointed at every turn. Maybe when burger joints were few and far between the McDonalds and Burger Kings, 5Guys was something else - but in this day and age, your burger and fries better rock. When you can go to McDonalds and get a double cheese burger with still the perfect rendition of a french fry and a coke for $2.99, one better deliver far superior results to be able to charge 3-4 times that in price. 

(these are in order from worse - 5 to inedible - 1) 

5. The bacon. When you charge $2+ for bacon, please use thick sliced and naturally smoked. We can cook up oscar meyer processed bacon at home.

4. Dessert. Why no shakes? Maybe even some cookies? A brownie? 5Guys needs something to cover your grease laden stomach after eating here. TFL's suggests McDonalds Choco-Banana shake. Extra stop, but needed.

3. The grease. It is everywhere, and the smell lingers. At least use higher quality.

2. The burgers. Cooked to well done (but so is McDonalds), and mashed flat, these burgers are nothing more than grease patties with elaborate toppings. $6+ for a double is out right stealing. The buns at least are always fresh and absorbent - although we would prefer the absoprtion of juice as opposed to grease.

1. The Fries. OK so they give you 2lbs of french fries. BFD. We wouldn't care if it was 10lbs, cause they suck. We are of the group of crispy frie fans. Soft pillowy center is OK as long as the outside is crispy. When ever we go here, we ask for the fries to be WELL DONE, CRISPY, BURNT, DOUBLE FRIED etc... and they still come out limp, greasy, not a cripsy one to be found. But plentiful, oh so plentiful. They do charge over $2.50 per order.

To conclude, you can get basically the same burger with better fries for $3 vs $11. For this price, you are better off spending about $5 more (with a tip) and sit down at Houstons for a burger cooked anyway you want it (we suggest med rare)!

TFL Overall Rating:  2.1 out of 5 Stars.

H.D. Pappas emigrated from Greece to America at the turn of the 20th century. Like most immigrants he brought a commitment to quality and service that provided the core and strength of our United States. 100 years later, his great-great grandsons still carry on that tradition in monster corporate style. With over 50 restaurants around the country, encompassing 6 or more different concepts, this family run company does it better than most. 

Pappas restaurant Pappadeux in Norcross is sure to be one of their most proud achievements. Located on the urban sprawl of thoroughfare Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Pappadeux’s Seafood Kitchen brings in the masses, serves impeccably fresh seafood, and seems to hardly slow down between meals to tidy up. The wait can often extend beyond 45 minutes, the parking lot must hold 200 cars, and the restaurant itself must seat 350 at a time. They pack it out every night on a street littered with suburban sprawl, half vacant strip malls, Lavenderia’s, and Auto parts retailers. Clearly most patrons drive from afar to come to this Cajun style seafood mecca. TFL thinks when originally locating on JCB, the Pappas family saw a different future. No matter, this place brings in the +/- $30 a plate customer by the thousands. 

With all of this, one might believe at some point the food and service would be compromised. Not true at any turn. The fish is exceptionally fresh, prepared to perfection (nothing worse than over/under cooked fish), and served in massive portions. The prices are similarly massive in price, but once you see the size of the meal, few ever complain of being overpriced. The menu is deep and diverse with Lincoln log like cheese sticks and huge specialty drinks bringing Bourbon Street to middle America. 

At TFL, we put quality over all else. We would rather wait for two hours, sit on an IKEA bar stool, and bring our own cutlery to enjoy the best quality food available. We do not discriminate between Chain and owner operated, white tablecloth and finger licking BBQ or hand prepared cuisine and mass produced foods. We only want GOOD. With Pappadeuxs, fresh seafood, consistent quality and big fruity/festive drinks are the order of the day, and this place does it better than most. 

With out further ado, here is Pappadeux’s top five:

5. Oysters. If you like ‘em fresh, big, and cheap – this is your place. You can get a dozen raw oysters on the half shell for under $8. They make them fried (perfectly cooked), Rockefeller’d, Po’ Boy’d, and in traditional Gumbo.

4. Salads. The Caesar Salad topped with shrimp or oysters is fantastic. Tangy and smooth. The star of the salad options is the Greek (appropriate!) – 11 ingredients mixed right at your table, house made dressing, and salty feta cheese topped with a crunchy greek pepper is the best rendition we have ever seen !

3. Toppings. Several of the daily specials and regular menu items are topped with some sort of rendition of a cream based, cheesy mushroom/spinach/shrimp/crawfish/oyster combination. Try any of them – never disappointed.

2. Cedar Planked Salmon (pictured above). We know you have seen this at every seafood, steak, or grill type restaurant, but few do it better than Pappadeux. Topped with fresh herb butter, cooked to a perfect medium rare, and garnished with a roasted lemon – this is salmon heaven.   

1. Shrimp and Crawfish Fondue. Every successful restaurant does something better than anyone else. Here it is this $14 appetizer. Served with toasted garlic bread, and their ubiquitous cream sauce – this is a dish to NEVER miss. Order as your entrée, or split it with your table. This dish makes comfort food a destination!

TFL Overall Rating  4.2 out of 5 stars.